Table 1. Explanatory table of intersections between the dimensions and focal points of metacognitive regulation in clinical reasoning
FOCALS Clinical Clinical Ethical Epistemological Ontological
TASKS Is it appropriate and effective for this patient's situation? Is it consistent with professional ethics and the patient's values? -It allows me to consider that information/knowledge holds value.-It enriches my knowledge as new insights/scripts. -It is aligned with the foundations of the Physical Therapy discipline.-It teaches me about my identity as a professional.
Global management Is my care approach Is my overall care approach appropriate/effective for this patient'ssituation? Is my overall care approach consistent with professional ethics and the patient's values? Does reflecting on my overall care approach generate new knowledge? Is my overall care approach aligned with the foundations of the Physical Therapy discipline and what does it teach me about my professional identity?
Cognitive Is my cognitive reasoning process Is the cognitive process I engage in and the decision I make, appropriate and effective for the clinical situation? (Are the hypotheses I formulated relevant? Did I consider the variousavailable pieces ofinformation to make a decision?) Are my reasoning and decision-making ethically acceptable (considering beliefs, ethics, values, etc.)? (Did I take the patient's values and preferences into account in my treatment proposal? Did I include the patient in the decision-making process?) -What value can I assign to the information or conclusions produced by the reasoning I have just undertaken?-What does reflecting on my process and decisions teach me as new knowledge? (Did I conduct unreliable tests, and did I place too much weight on their results? What have I learned regarding the association of different clinical signs in this situation? To what extent has my epistemic stance influenced my decisions?) -Does my cognitive reasoning adhere to professional standards?-What does analyzing my reasoning teach me about who I am and my reasoning style? (Do I utilize standards such as Evidence Based Practice, Bio-psycho-Social, and International Classification of Functioning? Do I tend to close my reasoning too quickly when faced with a patient having a pathology I am familiar with?)
Psychomotor Are my actions Is the action I perform appropriate and effective for the clinical situation and patient? (Does my action produce the desired effect? Is it effective? Is it adapted to the patient's pain?) Is the action I perform ethically acceptable in light of the patient's values? (Has my action been subject to inform consent, does it respect the patient's beliefs, and is this action indeed accepted by the patient?) -What value can I assign to the information collected through the action I have just performed?-What new knowledge does the action provide me? (Does my action, as performed, lead me to believe that the tactile information derived from it holds value? What has the execution of this action taught me regarding the refinement of my movement scripts?) -How does the action I perform fit within the discipline? Is it Physical Therapy?-What does analyzing my reasoning teach me about who I am and my practice style? (Is my action consistent with the Physical Therapy's recommendations? Is performing this action considered within the scopen of Physical Therapy? I realize that I only engage in hands-off techniques without ever employing passive techniques.)
Emotional Are my emotions and reactions What are my emotions, and are my reactions appropriate for the clinical situation? (I perceive that I am stressed due to my inability to find a solution,leading me to retestcontinuously withoutmaking a decision.)  In response to these emotions, are myreactions ethicallyappropriate in light of my professional status and the patient's values? (I perceive that I am stressed, which results in my frustration at the patient's refusal of a technique, although it is recommended by the literature.)  -How will the emotion I experience impact the value of the information I collect or the conclusions I draw?-What does analyzing my emotions teach me as new knowledge? (I perceive that I am stressed due to the patient's pain, which alters the value I assign to the information,potentially affecting my prioritization. Out of fear, I exhibit a selection bias that lead me to emphasize information justifying the use of passive techniques.) How does the emotion I experience and the management of it inform my emotional regulation as a professional? (When I am stressed, I tend to narrow my reasoning, propose multiple decision pathways to the patient, and observe which one they seem to favor. I then guide them toward the option they prefer, ultimately leaving the decision to them without positioning myself.)
Communicative Is my communication Is my communication appropriate for the clinical situation/patient? (Considering language level, message compliance,reception of the message.) Is the communication I engage in ethically acceptable? (Considering therapeutic distance, professional language, informed consent, etc.) What value can be assigned to the information produced by the communication I have just conducted? (Are the questions overly directed or closed? What is important to communicate to the patient?) How does my communication and its management inform my understanding of the professional I am? (Do I easily use informal language? Do I maintain minimal professional distance with peers, and do I allow the patient enough opportunity to speak.)
Int J Med Educ. 2026; 17:61-76; doi: 10.5116/ijme.6a0c.4c0b